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New CLUMEQ High Performance Computing Consortium huge step forward for
research and innovation

MONTREAL, June 14, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - McGill University today announced
an $8.3-million CDN contract with IBM in Canada to acquire a
supercomputer cluster able to support the data-intensive research
activities of the CLUMEQ High Performance Computing Consortium, making
it the most powerful supercomputer in Quebec and the second-most
energy-efficient data centre in Canada (1).

The first phase of this McGill project, funded by the Canadian
Foundation for Innovation (CFI), aims at building Canada's capacity to
undertake world-class research and technology development to strengthen
its position in today's knowledge economy. According to a recent report
issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development,
the province of Quebec is a hotbed of research and development, making
the city of Montreal an ideal location for the project

Gaining an efficient, relevant understanding of mountains of data will
be one of the biggest challenges for organizations in the 21st Century. McGill's CLUMEQ will provide high-performance computing (HPC)
capabilities to fully support the research activities of the Quebec and
Canadian university communities in several data-intensive sectors.
McGill's focus includes high-energy physics, nanotechnologies,
computational fluid dynamics, climate research, brain imaging, biology
and life sciences. The cluster will leverage the processing power
necessary to facilitate the efficient capture, storage, search,
sharing, analysis, and visualization of vast amounts of industry data.
CLUMEQ will also support the Atlas research project linked to the
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) project.

″With these impressive, multidisciplinary computing capacities, the new
theories tested by the McGill CLUMEQ consortium will have a major
impact on many areas of scientific expertise, from research into the
Big Bang to advances in nano-scale materials, as well as industries in
key fields such as neuroscience, biopharma, aerospace, and finance,"
said McGill's Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum. "We
appreciate the strong support we have received from the federal and
provincial governments, and from our IBM partner, which helps us to
foster innovation and discovery within our university communities and
to conduct transformational research for the continued advancement of
society."

Founded in 2001, CLUMEQ is a supercomputer consortium network created
with McGill University, Université Laval and the Université du Québec
network, which includes the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS),
where the supercomputer is housed. McGill's CLUMEQ is part of the
National Platform infrastructure meant to support researchers all over
the country,.

"McGill's CLUMEQ is poised to be a game-changer to help accelerate
Canadian research innovation," said Denis Desbiens, IBM Quebec
Vice-President at IBM Canada. "With IBM's expertise, the consortium -
part of Calcul Québec - is now one of the seven components of the
national HPC platform set up by Compute Canada to serve Canadian
researchers. "Cutting-edge research in a variety of disciplines is
what McGill CLUMEQ will bring."

On the forefront of innovation, IBM already has an impressive track
record when it comes to high performance technology. In February of
2011, IBM's Watson computing system competed and won on the popular
game show Jeopardy! against two of the most well-known and successful
champions. Watson's performance on the show captured the imagination of
millions of viewers, highlighting the power of computing to benefit
humanity in areas such as healthcare.

"McGill's research position on the world stage has reached new frontiers
when it comes to demonstrating the powerful impact that industry can
bring when joining forces with universities and governments. This puts
Canada and particularly Quebec on the map of scientific capability in
terms of critical synergies in support of research and innovation,"
Desbiens said.

IBM, which celebrates its centennial this year, began co-operating on
McGill's supercomputer initiative in 2005. It has provided McGill
researchers continuous support on this initiative.

"We are very happy to collaborate with IBM and McGill. When it comes to
applied teaching and research in engineering and technology transfer,
ÉTS is a beacon model in Canada. This announcement further reinforces
the critical synergies between research, innovation and industry. By
working in partnership, ÉTS and McGill have a positive impact on the
entire innovation chain, from both idea to innovation and from
fundamental research to application", said Yves Beauchamp, Chief
Executive Officer of ÉTS.

The new supercomputer, based on IBM's iDataPlex solution, has received
contributions from both levels of governments in addition to IBM's
participation as part of its industrial regional benefits (IRB)
program.

About McGill University
Founded in Montreal, Que., in 1821, McGill is Canada's leading
post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 11 faculties, 11
professional schools, 300 programs of study and more than 36,000
students, including 8,300 graduate students. McGill attracts students
from over 150 countries around the world, with more than 7,200
international students making up 20 per cent of the student body.
Almost half of McGill students claim a first language other than
English, including more than 6,200 francophones. For more information,
visit www.McGill.ca

About The École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)
The École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) specializes in applied
teaching and research in engineering and in technology transfer. Part
of the Université du Québec network, the school trains engineers and
researchers renowned for their practical, innovative approach. Since
its inception, ÉTS has nurtured a unique partnership with the business
world and industry, teaming with companies of all sizes. ÉTS ranks now
first in Québec and third in Canada for the total number of engineering
diplomas awarded annually. It also offers master's and doctorate
programs in several branches of engineering, along with certificate
programs designed for people who want to acquire a specialization or
upgrade their knowledge. For more information, visit www.etsmtl.ca